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Memory is considered a trusted and reliable source, yet it continues to be proven fallible. The misinformation effect is one such weakness in which post-event misinformation distorts a memory of an original event. We investigate how the gender and emotionality of a third-party informant influence a viewer’s susceptibility to memory distortion. Participants are tested on memory from a video after viewing a third-party report of the video in which facts of the original event are either reinforced or altered. There are four testimony conditions: male/emotional, female/emotional, male/neutral and female/neutral. We hypothesize that emotional testimonies will lead to greater memory distortion than neutral testimonies, and that female participants will be more persuaded (show greater memory distortion) by female testimony than by male testimony. This research is particularly important given that the majority of our information comes from third-party sources (newscasts, media, courtroom testimonies, etc.).

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Apr 11th, 11:30 AMApr 11th, 11:45 AM

Emotionality and Gender of a Third Party Reporter on Memory Distortion

Reid G02

Memory is considered a trusted and reliable source, yet it continues to be proven fallible. The misinformation effect is one such weakness in which post-event misinformation distorts a memory of an original event. We investigate how the gender and emotionality of a third-party informant influence a viewer’s susceptibility to memory distortion. Participants are tested on memory from a video after viewing a third-party report of the video in which facts of the original event are either reinforced or altered. There are four testimony conditions: male/emotional, female/emotional, male/neutral and female/neutral. We hypothesize that emotional testimonies will lead to greater memory distortion than neutral testimonies, and that female participants will be more persuaded (show greater memory distortion) by female testimony than by male testimony. This research is particularly important given that the majority of our information comes from third-party sources (newscasts, media, courtroom testimonies, etc.).

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